Anna is always taking the piss out of me. More often than not, it’s silly (“Did you see they put a picture of you in the Guardian?”Points to a drawing of an ape).  Every now and then, though, the joke is poignant.  And the truth is often told in jest, as funny lady over here never fails to remind me.

So it was that I discovered a gaping void in my knowledge of books.  I’m a reader, you see.  In school, when others were failing miserably and being moved to basement classes in “special ed.” because of bad behaviour or drug abuse, I was failing miserably and being moved into basement classes in “special ed.” because of Fyodor Dostoevsky.  I read the majority of Notes From Underground in Psychology class, secretly, the book hidden under the table.  Imagine the irony when I was caught; the teacher scolded me, saying, “You’re supposed to be learning about psychology!”

Dostoevsky, Checkhov, Bulgakov — I love them Russians!  My teens were spent writhing in the shadows of the Beat Generation, writing bad poetry entirely in lower case, dispensing with “and”, “the”, etc.  Salinger was my God; I’ve read The Catcher In The Rye 14 times, and Nine Stories (published in Britain as For Esmé, With Love And Squalor) ten times.  Rimbaud stole a week from my life which I’ll never recover, or even remember.  Henry Miller, Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, Bruce Chatwin, and even D.H. Lawrence have been dearer fellows to me than most friends — and longer serving.

But female authors?  None.  I’ve barely read any.  Arundhati Roy’s The God Of Small Things, Stella Gibbons’ Cold Comfort Farm, and Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird are the only ones that I remember blowing me away … or remember at all, to be honest!  Shameful, I know.

Well, what are New Year’s Resolutions for?  This year, I’m going to plunge into the deep end and combat a long-standing error on my part.  I expect the results to be deeply, profoundly rewarding: I will only read female authors in 2010.  This, of course, excludes the Guardian, which I devour at lenght on Saturdays, and peruse during the week.  I will, however, be especially conscious of how much I enjoy Lucy Mangan’s columns.

Think of all the goodies I’ve been missing!  I have a few in my possession.  They’re a good start: An Ordinary Person’s Guide To Empire, by Arundhati Roy (starting in the comfort zone, so to speak); The Female Eunuch, by Germaine Greer; The Second Sex, by Simone De Beauvoir (you see, I’m doing a sort of penance for gender equality, and re-educating myself); The Color Purple, by Alice Walker; Nightingale Wood, by Stella Gibbons (as well as revisiting Cold Comfort Farm); as well as the works of female titans like Virginia Woolf, Gertrude Stein, The Brontës, et al.

Here’s the panic: can I go a year without re-reading my old favourites?  No Catcher or Nine Stories?  No Black Spring or The Time Of The Assassins?  No Season In Hell?  Oh my God, I’ve only read The Brothers Karamazov once!  And Ulysses twice — and I only sort of got it!  What about all those lesser-known Orwell novels I’ve been meaning to read, like Coming Up For Air or Keep The Aspidistra Flying?  For Christ’s sake, I’ve just been given a copy of Anna Karenina (loves me those Russians!), and I still haven’t read the copy of Middlesex my best friend gave me for my birthday in 2006!  How on earth will I manage?!

Be resolute!

I’ll keep you posted.

Speaking with Bayan Northcott uncovered a wealth of information about the WCSSs and the period in which they occurred. This post draws together some clips from the interview. The interview progressed with Northcott going through his diary.

Sunday, 15 August at 8 p.m.

BETHANY BEARDSLEE, soprano

EMMANUEL HURWITZ, violin

STEPHEN PRUSLIN, pianoforte

I. Five Songs . . Schubert

Ganymed (Goethe)

Auflösung (Mayrhofer)

Nachtviolen (Mayrhofer)

Auf dem Wasser zu singen (Stoliberg)

An Sylvia (Shakespeare)

II. Chansons de Bilitis (Pierre Louys) . . Debussy

III. Sonata No. 13 in B-flat major for piano and violin, K. 454 . . Mozart

INTERVAL – 25 MINUTES

IV. Two Songs . . Schoenberg

Ich darf nicht dankend (Stefan George)

In diesen Wintertagen (G. Henckel)

Three Songs, opus 25 (Hildegard Jone) . . Webern

Wie bin ich froh

Des Herzens Purpurvogel

Sterne, Ihr silbernen Bienen

V. Philomel for soprano, recorded soprano, and synthesized sound . . Milton Babbitt

To begin, Northcott made some general remarks about Bethany Beardslee, one of the featured performers of the 1965 WCSS:

Monday, 16 August at 8 p.m.

BETHANY BEARDSLEE, soprano

Melos Ensemble

EMANUEL HURWITZ, violin

CECIL ARONOWITZ, viola

TERENCE WEIL, cello

COLIN CHAMBERS, flute and piccolo

GERVASE DE PEYER, clarinet

ALAN HACKER, bass clarinet

ERIC ROSEBERRY, piano

EDWARD DOWNES, director

I. Trio No. 1 in B-flat major for pianoforte, violin, and violoncello, opus 99 . . Schubert

INTERVAL – 25 MINUTES

II. Pierrot Lunaire, opus 21 . . Schoenberg

This was one of the most significant concerts of the 1965 summer school, and the impact of the Pierrot Lunaire here is deep and long lasting. Northcott suggests that this may well have been the genesis of the Pierrot Players. First, thought, he confirms some of Hugh Wood’s information about the lighting:

Northcott then describes the performance, particularly striking for its information about Maxwell Davies:

Tuesday, 17 August at 5 p.m.

RECITAL

by LEONARD STEIN, piano

Bagatelles . . Beethoven

Three Piano Pieces . . Alexander Goehr

Prelude for Piano and Tape . . Subotnick

(short pause)

Cocktail Music . . Salvatore Martirano

Piano Pieces OP. 23 . . Schoenberg

NB there was no performance of Boulez’s Third Piano Sonata as one of the earlier flyers had indicated. Part of Northcott’s response to my question about Boulez was to mention that Bill Colleran has set up a shop in the hall for the summer school, selling, amongst other things, Boulez’s Third Piano Sonata.

Wednesday, 18 August at 8 p.m.

Melos Ensemble:

EMANUEL HURWITZ, violin

KAY HURWITZ, viola

LEONARD FRIEDMAN, violin

CECIL ARONOWITZ, viola

TERENCE WEIL, cello

WILLIAM BENNETT, flute

ALAN HACKER, bass clarinet

ERIC ROSENBERRY, piano

STEPHEN PRUSLIN, piano

BARBARA ELSY, Soprano

PAULINE STEVENS, contralto

IAN PARTRIDGE, tenor

GEOFFREY SHAW, bass

ALEXANDER GOEHR, director

I. Busoni – Canonic Variations and Fugue for pianoforte on the theme of King Frederick the Great from Bach’s Musical Offering.

followed by

II. Bach – Six Part Ricercar from the Musical Offering.

The six-part ricercar, which follows the Busoni work, will be performed in an instrumental arrangement by Alexander Goehr.

III. Mozart: Quartet for flute, violin, viola, and violoncello in D major, K. 285

IV. Cantata on texts by Edward Benlowes . . Robin Holloway

First performance written for Summer School

V. Cryes of London . . Orlando Gibbons

VI. Fourteen Ways of Describing Rain . . Hanns Eisler

Holloway’s Cantata was performed only in part:

Thursday, 19 August at 5 p.m.

BARBARA ELSY, Soprano

PAULINE STEVENS, contralto

IAN PARTRIDGE, tenor

GEOFFREY SHAW, bass

TRISTRAM FRY, percussion

Aquil Altera . . Jacapo da Bologna

In tua memoria . . Arnold de Lantins

Westron Wynde . . Anon

Western Wind Mass . . John Taverner

Pause

Veni sancte spiritus . . Robert Sherlaw Johnson

(First performance written for Summer School)

Little Cantata of Proverbs (Blake) . . Alexander Goehr

_________

Sibylla Delphica

La nuit Froide et Sombre

Fuyone Tous

Bonjour mon coer

Ich weiss ich ein madlein . . Orlando di Lasso

Northcott’s comments here are more valuable for their suggestions of the flavour of the time than there are to the concert at hand. He begins with Alexander Goehr:

And continues with Bill Hopkins:

The earlier concert flyer had given Birtwistle’s Ring a Dumb Carillon as having it’s first performance at this concert. The published programme booklet (submitted to the Arts Council) didn’t list it as one of the pieces performed, but Northcott seemed to think that it was performed:

Friday, 20 August at 8 p.m.

EMANUEL HURWITZ, violin

LEONARD FRIEDMAN, violin

CECIL ARONOWITZ, viola

TERENCE WEIL, cello

WILLIAM BENNETT, flute

PETER GRAEME, oboe

WILLIAM WATERHOUSE, bassoon

NEIL SANDERS, horn

HILLARY WILSON, harp

BARBARA ELSY, soprano

PAULINE STEVENS, contralto

IAN PARTRIDGE, tenor

GEOFFREY SHAW, bass

MEMBERS OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL

LAWRENCE FOSTER, director

PETER MAXWELL DAVIES, director

I. Canon for Syntagma Musicum (1619) . . Michael Praetorius

_________

II. Dunstable:

voices and instruments: Sanctus and Agnus Dei

organ: Sub tuam protectionem

voices and instruments: Motet, “Veni Sancte Spiritus – Veni Creator”

III. (a) Plainsong, Gloria Tibi Trinitas

(b) Benedictus, from “Gloria Tibit Trinitas” Mass . . John Taverner

(c) In Nomine . . John Taverner

(d) In Nomine . . Thomas Tallis

(e) Gloria Tibi Trinitas . . John Blitheman

(f) Two “In Nomines” . . Peter Maxwell Davies

(g) Fantasia (In Nomine) . . Henry Purcell

The two new “In Nomines” use the plainsong, and the instrumental versions of the Tallis and Blitheman are by Maxwell Davies.

Tragoedia . . Harrison Birtwistle

First performance, commissioned by the Melos Ensemble for the Summer School

INTERVAL – 25 MINUTES

V. Motet – Ecce Manus Tradentis . . Peter Maxwell Davies

Again, this is one of the most significant concerts of the summer school. Northcott began his comments with the Maxwell Davies arrangement of Taverner, Tallis, Blitheman and Purcell. The programme here is slightly misleading, and the music performed is now entitled Seven In Nomine. Maxwell Davies’s website gives a programme note in which he writes that the first five were premiered at the Wardour Castle Summer School in ‘September [sic] 1965′ with the complete work performed for the first time in December 1965.

Then came Tragoedia. Northcott here is fascinating:

Northcott’s comments about the Times review (here) are here noteworthy and it seems likely that Northcott is right and that the entire work was performed in this concert. Northcott then moves on to Ecce Manus:

Saturday, 21 August at 5 p.m.

RECITAL

ROGER SMALLEY, piano

BRIAN DENNIS, baritone

WILLIAM YORK, clarinet

JOHN WHITE, tenor horn

Two Pieces from Amores for prepared piano . . John Cage

Last Pieces . . Morton Feldman

February Pieces I, II, III . . Cornelius Cardew

Neumes Rhythmiques

Ile de Feu I . . Messiaen

_________

Pause

_________

Piano Pieces . . Karlheinz Stockhausen

Two Poems of D. H. Lawrence

for baritone, clarinet, tenor horn, piano (1st performance) . . Roger Smalley

Participants’ Concert:

Bach: Double Concerto for 2 vioins in D minor. Leonard Freeman and Emanuel Hurwitz.

Bach: Cantata conducted by John Aldis and sung by participants. Solo parts by Barbara Elsy, Pauline Stevens, Geffrey Shaw and Ian Partridge.

March ‘Verdi’ from Macbeth played by Participants and conducted by Alan Hacker.

David Bedford: Dream of the Seven Lost Stars written for the Summer School and conducted by John Aldis.

I showed Northcott the above programme, and then some of the other information from different sources. He seemed vague about the other works, recalling clearly only the Bedford:

Milo (my cat) is going crazy. He doesn’t do very well when Gibbons (roommate’s dog) is out-of-town because he has nobody to beat up on. He has successfully knocked over about ten glasses this weekend (the one in particular I was very upset about was a freshly ice-cubed Diet Coke–refreshing and waiting to be gulped) and has now figured out that he is faster than me and can make it downstairs into the basement before I can grab him. He is being quite a pill.

He just tried to climb up the fireplace (one day he will get to the top) and is now nonstop howling and wandering around in circles.

Milo and Gibbons during happier, less obnoxious times:

Napping buddies. Reminds me of the Friends episode, “The One with the Nap,” although neither of them seem to have any shame in male-male napping.

The following is the contents of the 1964 Programme, held by Bayan Northcott and photographed when I visited him.

[p 1]

Wardour Castle

Concerts and Lectures

16–22 August 1964

President Michael Tippett

Musical Director Harrison Birtwistle

Price 5’-

[p 2]

[map of Tisbury]

[p 3]

Contents

Acknowledgements                        4

The Composers and Artists            5

Programmes

16 August            Lecture            13

Concert            13

17 August            Recital            19

Concert            19

18 August            Lecture            25

Concert            25

19 August            Recital            31

Discussion            31

20 August            Recital            37

Lecture            37

21 August            Concert            41

22 August            Concert            41

[p 4]

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Headmistress, Miss C. B. Galton, and the Governors of Cranborne Chase School for kindly allowing us to use the Castle, both for the Concerts and the Summer School; and the following people for their invaluable assistance:

Mrs. M. I. Mackintosh

Honorary Secretary

Mr. H. O. Young

Honorary Treasurer

Miss G. Selby-Smith

Honorary Librarian

Mrs. T. Hetherington

Miss Caroline Philips

Mrs. R. Porteous

Mr. Michael Thomas

for the loan of organ and harpsichord

The Revd. C. J. Godfrey

for the use of Donhead St. Andrew parish church

The Ministry of Works

for the permission to use the grounds of the Old Castle

Cover Design and Book            Anthony Denning

Programme Notes                        Anthony Gilbert

[p 5]

Notes on the Composers and Artists

[p 6/7]

Harrison Birtwistle

was born in 1934; he studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music and subsequently at the Royal Academy of Music. He is now teaching music at Cranborne Chase School. His works include: Refrains and Choruses, performed 1959 Cheltenham Festival; Music for Sleep, a work for children; Chorales for Orchestra; The World is Discovered, performed at this year’s I.S.C.M. Festival; Entr’acts and Sappho Fragments, performed at this year’s Cheltenham Festival; and Three Movement with Fanfares, commissioned by The Worship Company of Musicians for this year’s City of London Festival

Peter Maxwell Davies

was born in Manchester in 1934, and studied  1952-57 at Manchester University, and Manchester College of Music; 1957-58, Italian Government Scholarship; studied composition with Petrassi in Rome. Director of Music at the Grammar School, Cirencester, and for the past 18 months he has been at Princeton, New Jersey. His works include: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano, 1955; Five Piano Pieces, 1956; Alma Redemptoris Mater, 1957; St. Michael, for wind instruments first performed at the Cheltenham Festival, 1957; Prolation, for orchestra, 1958; Five Motets for a capella choir, 1959; O Magnum Mysterium, for choir, instruments and organ, 1960. His Sinfonia was presented at the Cheltenham Festival by the English Chamber Orchestra in 1962

Anthony Gilbert

was born in London in 1934. He started to study music in 1958; harmony and counterpoint with Anthony Milner; composition briefly with Mátyás Seiber; then since 1959 with Alexander Goehr. Works include: a Duo for Violin and Viola, a Serenade for Six Instruments (commissioned by the S.P.N.M.); and a recently completed Mass for choir and brass.

Alexander Goehr

was born in 1932 in Berlin. Son of the conductor Walter Goehr. Was brought to England as a baby and educated. Studied composition at Royal Manchester College of Music with Richard Hall, and in 1954 was awarded a French Government Scholarship and student at the Paris Conservatoire with Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod. For some years taught at Morley College and now works part time at the B.B.C., and its chairman of the Society for the Promotion of New Music. Principal works include: Sonata for Piano, The Deluge; Cantata after Leonardo da Vinci; Suters Gold; Cantata on a text by Eisenstein; Violin Concerto; and Little Symphony.

Michael Tippett

was born in 1905, and at the age of 18 entered the Royal College of Music where he studied composition with Charles Wood and R. O. Morris, and conducting with Sir Adrian Boult and Sir Malcolm Sargent. In the early ‘forties he was the Musical Director of Morley College and was closely associated with Walter Goehr, who have many first performances of his music from this period. Works from this period were: Concerto for Double String Orchestra; an Oratorio; A Child of Our Time; and the First Symphony. In 1953 Covent Garden gave the first performance of his first opera, A Midsummer Marriage. In 1953 his second opera, King Priam, was given its first performance in Coventry, late at Covent Garden. This Piano Sonata to be played tonight was written shortly after “King Priam” and was given its first performance by Margaret Kitchin.

Hugh Wood

was born near Wigan in Lancashire in 1932. He started to study music when he was 22; academic work with Dr. Lloyd Webber and later with Anthony Milner; composition with Iain Hamilton and then with Mátyás Seiber. His compositions include: a set of variations for viola and piano; instrumental songs to texts by Christopher Logue; a trio for flute, viola and piano; quartets, the second of which was commissioned by the B.B.C. for the 1962 Cheltenham Festival. Several of these pieces have been broadcast. He has taught at Morley College for five years and also, latterly, at the Royal Academy of Music. He is married to the pianist Susan McGaw.

[p. 8/9]

Richard Adeney

wad born in London in 1920. He studied music at Dartington Hall and the Royal College of Music. He is now the principal flute of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra. Hs is unmarried and keenly interested in photography.

Lucy Berthoud

was born in Hertfordshire in 1942. Three years later she went to live in New York and there, at the age of 11, started to learn the flute with Ruth Freeman of the Julliard School of Music. When she was 17 she came to England and studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Derek Honner; in 1963-64 she went to Paris to study with Fernand Caratgé

John Carewe

was born in 1934 and studied with Roger Desormiere, Walter Goehr and Olivier Messiaen. For several years assisted John Pritchard with the Musica Viva Concerts in Liverpool, and has appeared as conductor with principal orchestras in this country. Is particularly interested in performance of new music and has given many first performances of works by young English composers.

Lamar Crowson

was born in American but completed his musical training with Arthur Benjamin at the Royal College of Music, with he is now professor of the piano. Among the many awards he has won are the Chappell Gold Medal, the Harriet Cohen International Medal and two first prizes for chamber music at the Munich International Competition. His is will known for his solo and chamber music productions.

Barbara Elsie

was born in Yorkshire in 1938 and at the age of 16 won a three-year Scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music in London. Her teacher was Winifred Radford, with whom she still works. Her oratorio repertoire is extensive and she performs regularly with principal choral societies in Great Britain. Since her first important engagement at York Minister in 1959 she has broadcast a cantata for her, and consequently she was invited to take part in the first performance of his opera “English Eccentrics,” which had u

Osian Ellis

was born in Flintshire. He started to play the harp at the age of 10 and at 17 he won scholarships which took him to the Royal Academy of Music, where he is now a professor. He has brought the harp into great prominence with his concert appearances, recitals and broadcasts, and he has taken part in most of the major European festivals. His performance of Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro with the Melos Ensemble was awarded a Premier Prix in 1962 by the French Society of Authors and Editors of Music. Ossian Ellis is an authority on Welsh Folk Music.

Emanuel Hurwitz

was born and educated in England. At the age of 14 he won the Bronislaw-Hubermann Scholarship for the Royal Academy of Music which was adjudicated by Hubermann in person. In 1939 he became the youngest member of the London Philharmonic Orchestra; he has played solos and obligatos with his orchestras and has always been singled out by the critics for his excellent performances. Since the war he has been leader of the Jacques Orchestra and is now leader of the English Chamber Orchestra. In 1954 he formed a string ensemble which has gained considerable success playing music of the seventeenth-eighteenth centuries. He has been a member of the Melos Ensemble since 1955.

[p 10/11]

Margaret Kitchin

was born in Switzerland and studied with Jacqueline Blancard. She has played all over Europe, giving recitals and as a soloist with all the leading orchestras, playing classical and many modern works in which she specialises. She has given many first performance of modern works, including the Piano Sonata by Alexander Goehr, and work by Ian Hamilton, Peter Maxwell Davies, Peter Racine Fricker, etc.

Susan McGaw

studied at the Royal Academy of Music where she son the Liszt Scholarship and many other prizes. On leaving she won a Caird Scholarship and one from the French Government, and studied in Paris for two years with Yvonne Lefébure Since returning she has played regularly in London and the provinces. She is a frequent broadcaster. He husband is Hugh Wood. They have a son and daughter.

Gervase de Peyer

was a scholar at the Royal College of Music and completed his studying under Frederick Thurston in 1958. He has played for many of the London symphony and chamber orchestras and is at present principal clarinet in the London Symphony Orchestra. He is well known as a soloist and has performed with nearly all the major orchestras in the country under many well known conductors. He has also appeared at many festivals, including Edinburgh and Holland. He has made records for Decca, H.M.V., l’Oiseau Lyre and Parlophone.

Neill Sanders

was born in London in 1923, son of violinist, and has a brother who plays the flute. He won an open scholarship to the Royal College of Music in 1939, after which he did a season with the Scottish Orchestra before becoming principal horn with the L.S.O. He spent seven years with Denniss Brian in the Philharmonia Orchestra and is at present co-principal in the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra.

Michael Thomas

is at present recording concerts and making permanent recordings of music of keyboard instruments of exceptional historical importance on the continent and in England and Ireland. During the past few years he has recorded recitals on most of the famous old harpsichords, organs and clavichords. He is a person who has made the most thorough study of the technique, phrasing and ornamentation of old music and has, through his long experience and experiments with old instruments, learned how these techniques may best be applied to the old instruments that were used in historical times.

Terence Weil

studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won numerous prizes for Chamber Music including the Sir Edward Cooper prize. He was a member of the Hurwitz String Quartet until it disbanded in 1951. He has been principal ‘cello of many chamber orchestras but is at present free-lancing. He is a founder member of the Melos Ensemble.

[p 12]

[advertisement, Universal Edition, for the path to the new music by Anton Webern]

[p 13]

Sunday 16th August

5.0 p.m. Lecture

in the Assembly Room

8.30 p.m. Concert

in the Assembly Room

[p 14/15]

Music in Our Time

Lecture 5.0 p.m.

ALEXANDER GOEHR will lecture on certain aspects of contemporary music with particular reference to works being performed in the evening concert.

Concert 8.30 p.m.

Introduced by MICHAEL TIPPETT

A concert of contemporary English Music

Promoted by: Institute of Contemporary Arts.

Society for the Promotion of New Music

Barbara Elsie            Soprano

Margaret Kitchin            Pianoforte

Peter Maxwell Davies            Pianoforte

Richard Adeney            Flute

Gervase de Peyer            Clarinet

Neill Sanders            Horn

Osian Ellis            Harp

Emmanuel Hurwitz            Violin

Terence Weil            ‘Cello

John Carewe            Conductor

Three Piano Pieces, op.5            Hugh Wood

These pieces were written for my wife to play, the first for a Wigmore Hall recital in January 1961, and the whole set for a midday recital at the 1963 Cheltenham Festival. the first, Lento, consists of a long tune with rises to a climax, after which some introductory material is heard again. The second, Energico, is the longest of the three, a rondo with episodes and an introduction; the first episode features constant trills, the second is lyrical, in a slower tempo. The main theme appears in a different register each time. The third piece, Calmo, is very short, reminiscent in its materials, valedictory in its nature.

[p 16]

Monody for Corpis Christi Harrison Birtwistle

[lyrics reproduced in original]

The first movement is a simple arch whose main member is the vocal line (to which all other parts are embellishments and from which they may be said to stem). Its rise and descent are emphasized by the gradual addition of instruments from the beginning and their subtraction towards the end, and by the gradually increasing complexity of the instrumental episodes separating the couplets.

This movement leads without a break into an instrumental fantasia Quasi fanfara in contrasting sections, at first very short and static, then longer and more flowing, the whole serving as a transition between the different levels of tension of the two movements for voice.

The third movement follows without interruption and again the overall form is very simple. Each stanza grows in intensity towards its end; in between the two there is a brief instrumental episode ending with a flute cadenza.

Sonata for Piano Anthony Gilbert

This sonata was written in 1961-62 and was first performed by Margaret Kitchin at the S.P.N.M. Cheltenham Festival concert in 1962. There are three movements:

1. Vivace. The overall shape is that of classical sonata form with two contrasting subject-groups, a bipartite section of development in which each group is treated in accordance with its individual character, and an elliptical reprise and coda.

2. Cantilena is a simple, song-type movement in three sections of continuous variation. The middle section, characterized by a pedal, forms a central point of repose for the whole sonata, while the third part recalls the other two and has the function of a coda.

[p 17]

3. Scherzo. This opens with two contrasting motifs and the first part of the movement is concerned with their development and gradual integration. As they become more completely combined the section reaches a climax which triggers off Trio 1, a set of short variations on a rhythmic motif. After a short link using first-section material there follows Trio 2, which is free and rhapsodic in character, and has echoes of the first and second movements. The final section is a telescoped and varied version of the first.

Sonata No.2 for Piano Michael Tippett

This Sonata was written early in 1962 and first performed by Margaret Kitchin at the

Edinburgh Festival of that year. It is in one continuous movement.

Composed very shortly after the completion of “King Priam,” the sonata derives form from the dramatic structure of at opera, and some of its materials from the orchestral piano part. It constitutes a complete departure from normal sonata procedure in that there is virtually no development; the sonata grows by statement – the constant addition of new material and by variation and repetition of material previously given. Constant use is made of new materials and by variation and repetition of material previously given. Constant use is made of contrasts: contrasts of texture, contrasts of tempi and timbres and contrasts between static and dynamic. Towards the end the phrases and motifs get shorter and tension grows until the final page, which is a coda concerned with the elimination of the principal motifs.

INTERVAL (25 minutes)

Five Little Pieces Peter Maxwell Davies

(first performance)

The five little piano pieces were composed between 1960 and 1962.

Suite, op. 11            Alexander Goehr

This work was commissioned by the Aldeburgh Festival Committee for the Melos Ensemble who gave its first performance in June, 1961. The object was to produce a piece of light, serenade-like character with an important part for flute and harp. There are five movements.

The first is a quick movement in three main sections. The first and second of these alternate two sharply distinguished types of material in continually varied forms; the third in contrast is a flowing section for solo flute with string accompaniment. There are two repeats: the first section is played again immediately, and the second again after the third.

The second movement is an Intermezzo for harp in improvisatory style. The structural principle is the note-by-note changing of two superimposed chords by pedal shifts.

The third movement is a Scherzo. This is very lightly scored, being almost all in one part over a pedal. Of its two main motifs, the first on the ‘cello is recognisable as the clarinet motif from the first movement in equal notes. Its “head” is used throughout the movement as a sort of punctuation mark dividing sections. The Trio comes right at the end and is for the three stringed instruments only; finally there is an eight-bar coda on scherzo material.

The fourth movement is an Arietta for solo flute, backed by a horn pedal of three notes, with brief answering figures on viola, ‘cello and harp.

The finale is a true Quodlibet in which short blocks of material from all the previous movements are juxtaposed mosaic-wise. There are two cadenzas: one for flute on Scherzo material, and one for harp on Trio material. The whole is held together by a horn-call which recurs like a rondo-theme, and whose origins are revealed to the sharp ear on its final appearance.

[p 18]

[Advertisement for UE composers Harrison Birtwistle and Hugh Wood]

[p 19]

Monday, 17th August

5.0 p.m. RECITAL

in the Old Kitchen

8.30 p.m. CONCERT

in the Assembly Room

[p 20/21]

Early Organ Music            Recital 5.0 p.m.

Peter Maxwell Davies will introduce and play early music on a newly restored Snitzler organ. Works by: Dunstable, Taverner, Byrd, Tomkins, Gabrielli, Scheidt, Zipoli etc.

The Organ

The organ belongs to Peter Maxwell Davies and was made by Snitzler in 1768.

Snitzler’s soundboards have little pallets directly under the keys which are operated by a pin on the underside of the key, thus giving an extremely light and responsive touch. The disadvantage of this method is that the wind channels are small, so that it is only possible to play three or four rows of pipes at once.

This organ originally possessed an ordinary stopped Diapason 8’, and open Diapason 8’ which contrasted with it, a Dulciana with tongues and beards, and a very small scale, also 8’, and small Dulciana Principle: the effect was rather soft and lacked virility. The pipes were therefore transposed to give a stopped Diapason and Principle, and the Dulcianas became the 12th and 15th. In this way the incisive Snitzler tone was immediately regained.

Chamber Concert            8.30 p.m.

Melos Ensemble

Lamar Crowson            Piano

Gervase de Peyer            Clarinet

Emmanuel Hurwitz            Violin

Neill Sanders            Horn

Terence Weil            ‘Cello

Pianoforte Trio in F sharp minor Haydn

Haydn’s Piano Trios belong rather to his piano music than to that for string ensemble. The keyboard plays a dominant part in all of them and the use of the violin, and particularly the ‘cello, is held by some authorities to be optional. The first editions describe them as “Sonatas pour le piano-forte avec accompagnement de violon et violoncello,” and the violin rarely goes above 2nd position, the ‘cello merely duplicating the bass of the piano.

This interesting work is one of a group of three composed in or before 1795 and dedicated to his English friend, Mrs. Schroeter.

There are three movements, the first of which, a sonata allegro, is notable for its wealth but as it reaches the dominant cadence it acquires a minor flavour, providing an excuse to plunge straight into A for the middle section. The procedure in reverse brings back the tonic towards the end.

The Finale is a Minuet in F-sharp minor of great beauty, with a trio consisting of the same material transplanted to the tonic major. Without going beyond the canons of Haydn’s normal minuet procedure, it provided a most satisfactory ending to the work.

[p 22]

Six Little Piano Pieces, op. 19            Schoenberg

Light, tender

Slow.

Very slow.

Quick, but light.

Somewhat quick.

Very slow.

The first five of these pieces were written on 19th February, 1911; the sixth was written in June, just four weeks after the death of Mahler, to whom it constitutes a kind of epitaph.

Around this time perhaps more than at any other period Schoenberg was preoccupied with problems of form – particularly of finding more appropriate vessels for his rapidly evolving atonality. There is no doubt that he was struck by the aphoristic manner of Webern’s op. 6, and particularly of the violin pieces op. 7, to the extent of being impelled to see what possibilities the very short form held for himself.

In addition, in these little pieces we find him for the first time calling into question the traditional relationship between melody and accompaniment, and investigating the possibility of more interesting functions for the latter. So, for example, in Nos. 1, 2 and 4 it becomes merely an extension or feature of the melody, serving to heighten its expressiveness in various ways, and No. 6, the strangest piece of all, is concerned with the almost elimination of both elements.

Seven Sketches, op. 9            Bartok

These piano pieces were composed between 1908-10, and are, in a way, a diary of Bartók’s development as a composer in these years. The first ones reflect his early preoccupation with western mannerisms – particularly impressionism; the later ones show his growing interest in the folk-idioms of his own land.

1. Portrait of a Young Girl: to wit, Marta Ziegler, its dedicatee, whom he married in 1909. A short piece in ternary form, betraying the influence of, surprisingly enough, Busoni in its harmonic style and its treatment of material.

2. A Swing. Two motifs are used in alternation: the first a rocking, polytonal figure, the second a bagpipe tune in not quite a whole tone scale.

3. is dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Z. Kodály. The lack of title emphasizes Bartòk’s abandonment of impressionism; the piece is simply a rhapsodic melody unfolded in rubato-parlando style over an accompaniment of major tenths.

4. is another rhapsodic piece. After an 11-bar introduction a Hungarian-style melody is presented in varied forms over a florid accompaniment.

5. A Rumanian Folk Melody, and 6., a dance in the Valachian manner, are still closer to popular sources, and foreshadow the Bartók of Mikrokosmos.

7. In this piece, perhaps the most interesting of all the Sketches, brief modal phrases succeed one another with striking juxtapositions of tonality; there is a gradual metamorphosis to irregular rhythms and whole-tone scales, and in the long code to note-clusters.

Première Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano            Debussy

This piece was written in 1910 as a test piece for clarinet competitions at the Conservatoire at which it was Debussy’s duty to adjudicate. It was subsequently orchestrated (the style of the accompaniment seems to indicate that this was his intention all along) and in this form is said to have been regarded by Debussy as one of the most pleasing pieces he had written.

It is freely constructed (as befits a Rhapsody) from static blocks of contrasting material in three main categories: slow and dreamy, poco mosso and scherzando, sharply juxtaposed or joined by brief linking passages.

Four Pieces for clarinet and piano, op.5             Berg

These pieces were written in the summer of 1913, and are dedicated to Schoenberg’s “Society for Private Performances,” under whose auspices they were first played more than six years later. Their epigrammatic style is an untypical of Berg as Schoenberg’s op. 19, their obvious model, is of him.

1. The clarinet’s opening six-note figure is a skilful simultaneous exposition of all the motivic elements of the piece, which in any case all spring from the single governing principle of intervallic expansion. Its form is very simple – the piano and clarinet move in opposite directions to the central climax which is held for two bard and then quickly falls away to a code of static harmonies.

2. This utilizes the same motivic elements as No. 1 in a pianissimo conflict between two kinds of ostinato accompaniment in the piano and a simple melodic line in the clarinet. The climax is expressed without rising above p, simply being the point at which the conflict resolves in favour of one of the ostinati.

3. Another very quiet piece, falling into four sharply contrasted sections, the first two quick and nervous, the third slow and flowing and the fourth an elliptical reprise and headlong code to be played as quickly and quietly as possible.

4. This piece takes farther the idea inherent in No. 3. The contrasted sections, each characterized by a different ostinato, are again present (though the speeds are the reverse of those in No. 3); likewise the sonata-like reprise before the code. Now, however, in spite of the ostinato, the piece is not static: it is aimed at the explosive climax which ends the first part of the code. The coda proper is simply three bars of echo.

INTERVAL (25 minutes)

[p 24]

Fantasia in C minor, K475            Mozart

This piece, written in 1875 for his gifted pupil Thérèse von Trattner, is one of four Fantasias for the piano composed in Mozart’s later years. It was customary for him to precede performances of his sonatas with an improvised introduction in the same key; the present Fantasia, published by Mozart as a prelude to the Sonata K457, may be taken as a fairly close indication of the nature of these improvisations.

It is made up of five contrasted open-ended sections: the first Adagio, the second a D major episode in the same tempo, the third a stormy Allegro in two halves, linked by a brief cadenza to the fourth, Andantino in B-flat; the fifth is another stormy Allegro. The whole is rounded off by a recapitulation and code on first-section material.

The organization of keys is interesting. The first, third and fifth sections are unstable and constantly modulating, any affirmations of the home (or any) key being rigorously avoided. The second and fourth are anchor sections firmly in keys two removes [sic] from home on the dominant and the subdominant sides respectively – so that the acute ear may sense an implied tonic midway between. However, not until the final section is the home key reached and established.

Trio for Piano, Violin and Horn, op.40            Brahms

This is one of a group of works composed after Brahms’ resignation in 1864 as Director of the Vienna Choral Society. It is a very much a horn trio; the horn part is as it were the backbone of the work, and the character of all the melodic material is determined by its appropriateness to that instrument.

The first movement is an Andante of unusual design, with boldly planned key relationships. There are two balancing sections, each in two contrasting parts, organised as follows: Andante in E-flat (2/4 time); poco più animato in C minor and G minor (9/8); Andante in E-flat; poco più animato in E-flat minor and B-flat minor, leading to a final Andante in G-flat which modulates back to the home key at the final climax.

The Scherzo begins with a long (12-bar) upbeat to the principal motif, whose four bars of 2/4 rhythm in 3 contrast strikingly with the overall 3/4 pulse.  The whole of the first section is built up from the material of these first 16 bars – a secondary motif given out by the horn on the next page plays little part in the growth of the movement. The Trio in the subdominant minor is less exuberant and decisive in character; the melody owes its outline to the “upbeat” motif of the previous section. After 76 bars uninterrupted by any form of full cadence the Scherzo is given de capo.

In the third movement, Adagio mesto in E-flat minor, there are four sections whose exact symmetry and the economy of whose material are belied by the flowing, almost rhapsodic manner in which the music unfolds.

The Finale is a lively movement in sonata form, through whose many modulations the horn is handled with such adroitness that accidentals seldom appear in the part.

[p 25]

Tuesday, 18th August

5.0 p.m. Lecture

in the Assembly Room

8.30 p.m. Concert

in the Assembly Room

[p 26/27]

Quartet for the End of Time            Lecture 5.0 p.m.

Olivier Messiaen, the Man and His Music

given by Hugh Wood

Concert 8.30 p.m.

Members of the Melos Ensemble

Emmanuel Hurwitz            Violin [viola]

Gervase de Peyer            Clarinet

Terence Weil            Violoncello

Lamar Crowson            Pianoforte

Clarinet Trio in E flat K498            Mozart

Andante;

Menuetto;

Rondo – Allegretto

The year 1786 was a trying one for Mozart. He was heavily in debt, his newly completed Marriage of Figaro had been withdrawn after only nine performances, and he had lost his third son. Nevertheless in the space of only six months he managed to turn out eight masterpieces, of which this Trio is one. It was written for his friends Francisca Jacquin and Anton Stadler with Mozart himself playing the viola part.

The unusual choice of instruments gives a mellow, closely-knit ensemble capable of considerable expressive power, and it was no doubt with this possibility in mind that Mozart made the first movement an andante rather than an allegro, almost – but not quite – discarding the sonata in favour of the song-form. The movement grows continuously from the motif in the first bar, and very little other material is introduced,

The second movement is a vigorous Minuet with a Trio effectively contrasting the timbres of the clarinet and viola in dialogue.

The theme of the final Rondo springs from a fragment of the “2nd subject” in the first movement. Little important music is given to the viola in the first section, in order to heighten the effect of its striking C-minor entry in the second episode. Save for a few bars of A-flat melody in the central part, its rôle is secondary until nearly the end, during a final brilliant reworking of the Rondo theme.

[p 28]

Four Impromptus, op. 142            Schubert

This is the style under which, mainly for commercial reasons. Schubert published the first of four piano sonatas written during the last 10 months of his life. And although undeniably a sonata of sorts, there is a certain looseness about its construction which suits its new name better.

For instance, in the first movement, Allegro moderato, there is an F-minor first subject and an A-major second subject, but where we might expect a development there is a longish passage of new material which moves into all sorts of interesting keys but does not grow. This innovation is taken a step further when the passage is reintroduced in the recapitulation, and at last Schubert’s scheme – a simple binary form – becomes apparent.

The second movement, Allegretto, is a Sarabande and trio going hand in hand with the first movement in key and character.

The third, Andante, is a set of variations on a tune from Rosamunde.

The finale, Allegro Scherzando, is in clearly defined ABA form, but the manner of organising the material in the outer sections gives it certain Rondo characteristics. It is perhaps the most imaginative of the movement. Cross-rhythms abound, the harmonic structure is striking, and the lead back from the central to the final section is magical.

INTERVAL (25 minutes)

Quatuor pour la fin du temps Olivier Messiaen

“And I saw another might angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was on his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet were as pillars of fire… and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth… and standing upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his head to heaven; and he swore by him that liveth for ever… that time shall be no longer; but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound the trumpet, the mystery of God shall be finished…” (Apocalypse of St. Jonn, Chapter X).

Conceived and written during my captivity, the Quatuor pour la fin du temps was first performed in Stalag Villa on 15th January, 1941, by Jean le Boulaire (violin), Henri Akoka (clarinet), Etienne Pasquier (‘cello) and myself on the piano. It was directly inspired by the above quotation from the Apocalypse. Its musical language is essentially immaterial, spiritual, catholic. Modes which, melodically and harmonically, realize a kind of tonal ubiquity, being the listener nearer to eternity in space or the infinite. Special rhythms, not bound by regular metre, powerful serve to put the temporal at a distance. (All this is but mere tentative stammering if one thinks of the overwhelming grandeur of its subject).

This “Quartet” is in eight movements. Why so? Seven is the perfect number, the six days of creation sanctified by the divine Sabbath; the seven of rest extends into eternity and becomes the eight of undecaying light, of unalterable peace.

1. “Liturgy of Crystal.” Between three and four in the morning, the birds awaken: a blackbird or solo nightingale improvises, surrounded by a fine sprinkling of sound, a halo of trills lost high in the treetops. Transfer this to the religious place, and you have the harmonious silence of heaven.

2. “Vocalise, for the Angel who announces the end of Time.” The first and third parts (very short) evoke the power of this mighty angel arrayed in cloud with a rainbow upon his head, who places one foot upon the sea and the other foot upon the land. The “middle section” depicts the impalpable harmonic of heaven. Gentle cascades of orange-blue chords on the piano surround with their distant carillon quasi-plainchant recitatives on violin and ‘cello.

3. “Abyss of the birds.” Clarinet solo. The abyss is Time, with its sadness, its wearinesses. The birds are the opposite of Time; they are our desire for light, stars, rainbows and paeans of jubilation.

4. “Interlude.” A Scherzo, more extrovert in character than the previous movement, but linked with them, nevertheless, by a number of melodic “reminders.”

5. “Praise to the Eternity of Jesus.” Jesus is considered here as the Word. A long ‘cello phrase, infinitely slow, magnifies with love and reverence the eternity of this might and gently Word, “whose years shall never be exhausted.” Majestically the melody spreads out, into the tender and sovereign distance. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

6. “Dance of fury for the seven trumpets.” Rhythmically, this is the most characteristic piece of the set. The four instruments playing in unison take on the sound of gongs and trumpets (the first six trumpets of the apocalypse following by various catastrophes, the trumpet of the seventh angel announcing the consummation of the mystery of God. Use is made of added values, augmented or diminished rhythms, and non-retrogradable rhythms. Stone music, formidable granitic sound; the irresistible movement of steel, enormous blocks of purple fury, glacial drunkenness. Listen above all to the terrible fortissimo augmentation of the theme with its notes all changed in register which comes towards the end of the piece.

7. “A confusion of rainbows, for the Angel who announced the end of Time.” Certain passages for the second movement return here. The almighty Angel appears, and so, particularly, does the rainbow which he wears (the rainbow, symbol of peach, goodness, and of all vibration in light and sound). In my dreams I hear and see groups of chords and melodies, known colours and shapes; then after this transitory phase I move into the unreal and experience with ecstasy a whirling and mingling together of superhuman sounds and chords. These fiery swords, these torrents of blue-orange lava, these sudden starts: these are confusions, these are rainbows.

8. “Praise to the Immortality of Jesus.” A broad violin solo, acting as pendant  to the ‘cello solo of the 5th movement. Why this second praise? It is addressed more particularly to the second aspect of Jesus, to Jesus the Man, to the Word made flesh, returning immortal to give us His life. It is all love. Its slow climb to the heights is the ascension of man towards his God, of the child of God towards its Father, of the beatified creatures towards Paradise.

– And I say again what I said above: “all thus us but mere tentative stammering if one thinks of the overwhelming grandeur of its subject.’

(Notes translated from score by Anthony Gilbert)

[p 30]

At the age of 56, Olivier Messiaen is almost certainly the most distinguished composer working in Europe today. He was born in 1908 at Avignon, song of a Shakespearean scholar and a poetess. He entered the Paris Conservatoire when he was only 11, and there studied the organ under Marcel Dupré, theory under Maurice Emmanuel and composition under Paul Dukas. At 18 he won the first prize for counterpoint and fugue, and he went on to win first prizes for piano accompaniment, organ playing, improvisation, music history and composition. His first mature work was, like so much of his later output, for the organ: Le Banquet Céleste, written in 1928. The Eight Preludes for piano followed in 1929: it was on the recommendation of Dukas that they were published. In 1931 he was appointed organist at the Great Organ of Holy Trinity, Paris. Other works of these years include Les Offrandes oubliées, L’Ancension, the Theme and Variations for Violin and Piano, and the Nativité du Seigneur cycle for organ. In 1936 he appeared as the leader of a group of young musicians calling themselbes “La Jeune France,” the other being André Jolivet, Daniel Lesur and Yves Baudrier. In this year also he was appointed professor at the Ecole Normale and at the Schola Cantorum. Works 1936-39: Poemes pour Mi, Chants de terre et de ciel, and the Corps glorieué for organ.

Messiaen enlisted at the beginning of the war and was taken prisoner during the fall of France in 1940. It was in a German prison camp in Silesia that he wrote the Quatuor pour la fin du temps (1941). This work was the harbinger of the most prolific period of his career. He was repatriated to occupied France and then wrote the Visions de l’Amen for two pianos, for Trios petites liturgies de la Présence Divine (the first work of his to become widely known after the war), the immense piano work Vignt regards sur l’Enfant Jésus, the similarly large-scale song-cycle Harawi, and then his chef d’oeuvre the Turangalila Symphony. This was written in 1946-48 and has been performed many times all over Europe and in America since its first performance in Boston in 1949. In 1953 and 1954 two performance took place in London, conducted by Walter Goehr. The work has recently been recorded.

On his return to France, Messiaen had been appointed professor of harmony at the Conservatoire, and before the end of the war a lively group of young pupils had gathered themselves round him, including the 19-year-old Pierre Boulez. The title of his appointment was changed in 1947 to that of Professor of Aesthetics, rhythmic studies and of the analysis class; a wider range of pupils now included Karheinz Stockhausen, Jean Barraque, Yannis Xenakis and Gilbert Amy. During the years 1947-53 Messiaen gave classes at various musical centres, including Budapest, Sarrebruck, Tanglewood and Darmstadt. His Quatre Etudes de rhythme for piano was begun on Darmstaft in 1949, and this work has had a great influence on composers of the Darmstadt circle. Other works of this time: Canteyodjaya for piano; the Cinq Rechants for choir; the Messe de la Pentecote for organi; Le Merle Noir for flute and piano; and the Livre d’orgue.

During the last 10 years Messiaen’s name has become well-known all over the world and his importance recognised as one of the sources of new musical thought. Latterly his works are even to be heard in England, where in particular his organ music now received regular performances. A recent group of works springs from the composer’s lifelong preoccupation with bird-song: the Réveil des oiseaux (1953) for piano and orchestra; the Oiseaux exotiques (1956) for piano, wind ensemble and percussion, and the piano work Catalogue d’oiseaux (1959). More recent still is Chronochromie (1960), an important work for large orchestra, and the Haikai for piano and clarinet solo and chamber ensemble (1962).

Hugh Wood

[p 31]

Wednesday, 19th August

5.0 p.m. Recital

in the Old Kitchen

8.30 p.m. Discussion

in the Assemble Room

[p 32/33]

Flute and Harpsichord

Recital 5.0 pm

Lucy Berthoud            Flute

Michael Thomas            Harpsichord

Suite in D Major            Rameau

Sonata in B Minor            J. S. Bach

Ordre in B Minor            Couperin

Sonata No. 6 in E Minor            J. S. Bach

Rameau and Couperin

Couperin (Le Grand), 1668-1733. His music for clavecin was called “Ordres,” another name for suite. They were published between 1713-30 with varying numbers of movements, some with 10 or 15 and the longest 23. He was a master of a musical miniature and pieces include portrait studies and nature sketches, e.g. Les Tricoteuses and Les Petits Moulins a Vent.

Rameau, 1683-1764. He was the most prominent figure of his day in French opera but won fame in all musical arts including writing for the clavecin in which he followed Couperin. Picturesque titles of his music for harpsichord include La Poule and Les Tourbillons.            G.S.S.

Flute Sonatas J.S. Bach

Bach wrote six flute sonatas, the first three have a fully written up part for the right hand of the harpsichord and can, therefore, be regarded as trio sonatas with the harpsichord playing the solo melodic part as well as the base. No. 1 in B minor has a long first movement marked andante in which the flute and the harpsichord alternate in a long melodic line and, of course, often play the two subjects against each other. Indeed both subjects are played together in the very first line. The faster semiquaver subject can really be regarded as two parts in quavers, as is so common in much of Bach’s music, which looks like a single part. It contains no harmony but tonic and dominant till the third bar. The harmony changes abruptly when a chromatic movement is introduced. This is, of course, developed in the course of the movement. The middle section of the movement is a much lighter subject in quick moving triplets. This is perhaps the longest and one of the most beautiful movements in all the Bach sonatas. The 2nd movement, a largo, is really a development form the siciliano but considerable complications and additions have arisen in the rhythm by the second bar. The 3rd movement is a short movement marked presto and starts with a canon with the harpsichord following the flute nine bars later. This time there is a chromatic climbing movement. The movement is in the form of a fughetta without cadence to the end. The last movement is a jig but of the highly developed type and note suitable for dancing in so far as the first beat of the three semiquavers instead of being an articulated down beat is actually a sustained syncopation in the very first bar. Again this contains a canon but it is at the unison pitch instead of at the 5th, the harpsichord entering in the fourth bar. Bach’s flute sonata No. 6 begins with an adagio but which is a completely expressive work and it would be difficult to say that it was closely related to any of the dance movement but bears more resemblance to a slow movement by Quantz. The 2nd movement is allegro in straight-forward binary form and in the Italian style. The 3rd movement is again a siciliano. The 4th movement is allegro again in binary form.

[p 34/35]

The Harpsichord

While engaged in restoring harpsichords, Michael Thomas became interested in two types of this instrument, which seemed to him to be particularly fine: one being the Italian and the other the French type.

After much experimenting independent of any specific model, Michael Thomas constructed this instrument in which he has sought to incorporate the best qualities of each type.

He uses the light construction and small bridge found in the Italian model, thus giving it simultaneously a deep hollow resonance and an enormous harmonic range; and by bending the wood of the curved side only as far as it will naturally and easily go, he has obtained the depth of tone of the French instrument. A clear attack on each note is achieved by the use of quills for plucking the harpsichord.

Opera Today            Discussion 8.30 p.m.

Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, Michael Tippett

Chairman: Harrison Birtwistle

Opera Today

Michael Tippett’s activities in the operatic field are already well known to all. His two works for the stage, dating from 1952 and 1961 respectively, for which in both cases he was his own librettist, are among the most striking and original contributions to opera this century.

Peter Maxwell Davies has for the past two years been working on his first opera, based on the life of John Taverner, and now nearing completion.

Alexandr Goehr began, and abandoned, his first opera some years ago. Its subject was the Women of Troy, and a fragment survives in the orchestral work Hecuba’s Lament. His activities in recent months as musical director of various stage productions at the Mermaid Theatre have resulted in his increasing absorption with music on the stage, and he has recently been commissioned to write an opera on the play Arden of Feversham.

[p 36]

[advertisement for Schott’s composers: Banks, Blomdahl, Davies, Franciax, Fricker, Gilbert, Goehr, Hamilton, Hartman, Henze, Hindemith, Huber, Nono, Orff, Rainier, Schoenberg, Schuller, Searle, Seiber, Stravinsky and Tippett.]

[p 37]

Thursday, 20th August

5.0 p.m. Recital

in the Assembly Room

8.30 p.m. Lecture

in the Assembly Room

[p 38/39]

Matinee for Erik Satie            Recital 5.0 p.m.

Susan McGaw            Piano

Four songs without words Mendlessohn

F sharp minor op. 19, no. 5

B minor op.67, no. 5

F minor op. 62, no. 3

A minor op. 38, no. 5

1st Gymnopedies Satie

3rd Gnossiemme Satie

Vieux sequins et Vielles Cuirasses Satie

Passion Sonata no. 6, A major            C. P. E. Bach

Allegro

Adagio

Allegro

Pieces friod 1st set            Satie

Airs a faire fuire Satie

Three songs without words Mendelssohn

G major op. 62, no. 1

D major op. 85, no. 4

A major op. 102, no. 5

Erik Satie: 1866-1925

The amount of discussion of a non-musical nature aroused by Satie’s eccentricities led people for many years almost to forget he was a musician; now, with the arrival of new eccentrics on the musical scene, most people have even forgotten Satie the lunatic. Even when, at the age of 54, he suddenly found himself hailed as leader of the Parisian avant-garde, it was less as a musician than as High Priest of a new aesthetic cult devised by Cocteau that he was worshipped, and rarely at any period since his death have any but a dwindling number of devotees taken the trouble to disregard the funny words and listen simply to his music.

This is a pity, because although undeniably a most interesting character in many ways, it is in the light of his contribution as a composer pure and simple that he new deserves to be considered.

Maybe he never produced a large-scale masterpiece, and maybe his influence is not as profound or as far-reaching as other influences this century; nevertheless, musically he is a true original, and the best of his work has a timeless quality that puts it in another category altogether from all the bizarrerie.

His was a fairly prolific composer, the bulk of his output being for the piano, either solo or duet, and this portion of his work contains his best and most characteristic pieces. Few of them are long; most are in groups, generally of three; and quite often, like the Gymnopédies and the Sarabandes, they are just three ways of looking at the same idea.

He had a way of anticipating points of technique in other composers by some 15 or 20 years. In his earlier piano pieces are to be found harmonic innovations used much later by Debussy and Ravel; slightly later pieces gave Stravinsky his mechanical accompaniment figures, and in later ones still, in particular the “3 Valses du Précieux Dégoûté” and the 20 “Sports et Divertissements,” his masterpiece, we find utilizes Messiaen’s techniques of incantatory repetition and the systematic juxtaposition of brief unrelated phrases.

The groups of pieces we are to hear this afternoon are among his best-known and least-known works. The Gymnopédies were published in 1887 and quickly achieved popularity; Vieux Séquins et Vielles Cuirasses (1914) belongs to a period of advanced buffoonery through which Satie went during the years following his celebrated return to the Schola Cantorum

[p 40/41]

Lecture 8.30 p.m.

Musical Characterization in Mozart Opera

with particular reference to Don Giovanni

Stephen Pruslin, Princeton University

Friday, 21st August

8.30 p.m. Concert

at Old Wardour Castle

Saturday, 22nd August

8.30 p.m. Concert

at Donhead St. Andrew Parish Church

[p 42/43]

Concert 8.30

Nocturnal

A concert in the open air* of English and Italian echo-music from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for brass and voices.

Given by: Gabrieli Ensemble and Choir conducted by Peter Maxwell Davies, Alexander Goehr.

Music by: Maschera, Isaac, A. and G. Gabrieli, Locke, etc.

* Under cover if wet

Concert 8.30 p.m.

Participants Concert

A concert given by the participants of the summer school

Conductors: John Carewe, Michael Tippett

Morgengesang C. P. E. Bach

Symphony Haydn

Sequentia Sanctia Evangeli Secundam Lucan, in illo Tempore XXII 14-20 Peter Maxwell Davies

(first performance written for the summer school)

Fantasias Gibbons

For these concerts a more comprehensive programme will be available on the day.

The cover of Alan Moore's Watchmen

Watchmen was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Watchmen was originally a mini-series published under DC Comics, it spanned one year with twelve issues and was collected into a graphic novel around 2005. It was the winner of the Hugo Award and was the only graphic novel on Time Magazine’s list of the top 100 English novels.

Watchmen has been widely received as the most celebrated graphic novel of all time. Many times director’s had tried to adapt the book to film, and in 2009 in some ways Zack Snyder (director of 300) succeeded.Many fans did not like the film very much, personally I thought it was a pretty faithful adaption, click here to read my review of the film.

The story follows that of six would-be heroes who decide to take the law into their own hands after the Minute Men were disbanded sometime in 1940. The characters consist of Silk Spectre II, Nite Owl II, Dr. Manhattan, The Comedian, Ozymandias, and Rorschach. After the Comedian is killed Rorschach begins investigating his death, he comes up with the theory that there is a “mask killer”. He then proceeds to inform all of the retired heroes of the Comedian’s death and his mask killer theory. The heroes must then overcome their differences and band together to stop World War III.

Next, the characters of Watchmen:

The Silk Spectre II

Laurie Juspeczyk aka Silk Spectre II is the daughter of the original Silk Spectre, her mother forced into the role of a masked adventurer (masked is sort of false as she doesn’t actually have one but what are you gonna do?). She is Dr, Manhattan’s girl friend, however, she leaves him in the third chapter.

Nite Owl II

Dan Dreiberg aka Nite Owl II took the role of Nite Owl when one of the old heroes in the Minute Men retired. He later retires after the passing of the Keene Act. In the ’60’s he and Rorschach worked together as partners.

Rorschach

Walter Kovacs aka Rorschach decided to become a masked adventurer after a rough childhood in which he saw the true horror of the world. After a kidnap case in the ’60’s he went insane and began killing criminals instead of catching them and leaving them to the police. He became a wanted man after the passing of the Keene Act. In some ways he is the main character, because he is the one who tells the story.

Ozymandias

Adrian Veidt aka Ozymandias was a man who believed in Utopia and world peace, and believes these things lie in the future. He retired from adventuring two years before the Keene Act was passed, and cashed on his alter ego making all sorts of merchandise and becoming an aristocrat.

Dr. Manhattan

Jon Osterman aka Dr. Manhattan was killed in an accident in an intrinsic field machine, he was torn apart then made a new body with all sorts of abilities, he is one of two heroes still in employ with the government.

The Comedian

Edward Blake aka The Comedian “He was practically a nazi” and a very lonely man. Heis practically insane like Rorschach. The Comedian is more of a soldier than a super hero. He participated in the Vietnam war with Dr. Manhattan.

The art of Watchmen is beautiful, Dave Gibbons does a wonderful job, and John Higgins uses are beautiful especially when they are used to show distance of an object. And the design for the costumes is the most important part to me because the costumes of most of the heroes are colorful which is surprising considering how grim the book is.

Overall, Watchmen is an excellent and thought provoking book and should be purchased by anyone who either likes comics or likes literature in general.

I’m taking a couple of days off to visit my favorite zoo in the country, the Columbus Zoo in Columbus Ohio. To show how much I love this zoo I live in Tennessee and I have a membership to a zoo in Ohio, I figure why not. They are busy this week putting up x-mas lights at the zoo and as I sit in the entrance at 3 a.m I can see the lights on in the zoo and wish I could get in before sunup and get some pics, it looks really cool. I spent the day yesterday wandering around the zoo watching everything and taking lots of pics, the Lions were chuffing and the Gibbons were howling and causing a ruckus. the babies are growing up too fast and the baby elephant is getting really big, my favorite baby gibbon is getting big too but still clings to his mom like a newborn. Today I’ll try for some pics of the Gorillas and Bonobos, and work on my pics for Sunday Stills. Yesterday was more of a scouting mission, recon if you will, to see how the cloudy grey skies will effect my pics for today and I found if I keep the sky out of the pics the cloudy conditions act as a difuser and there is not much glare. So as I wander around on day two I hope the quality of my pics will be better and I think I may work on some homosapien pics as well. I can’t wait for 9 a.m. when they open..:-))
Here is an updated pic of the baby Gibbon and his howling mommy…

Republican candidates for Governor (as well as for the 8th District congressional seat) spoke on a number of issues, education included, at the annual Reagan Day Dinner in Dyersburg, TN yesterday (via the Dyersburg State Gazette; h/t Kleinheider):

Zach Wamp (spoken for by Maj. Gen. Dan Wood):

“Bottom line is if we have better schools, we have better education,” said Wood. “Our young men and women have a chance to financially improve their situation. If they improve their situation, they make more money, they spend more money and in essence that helps the entire state.”

Bill Gibbons:

“I’ll be a governor who encourages more of our best and brighter to become teachers and then rewards good teachers and makes it easier to get rid of the teachers who aren’t that good,” said Gibbons. “I’ll make it easier for retirees to choose teaching as a second career if they would like to do that.”

Bill Haslam:

Haslam outlined five priorities for districts and schools in Tennessee:

1. Raise standards
2. Increase training for local principals and give them more authority
3. Create a strategy for great teachers
4. Use data
5. Expand parental choice through charters and home schooling

Ron Ramsey (who won the straw poll for governor taken at the dinner):

“There’s nothing better than competition. If I was [sic] the only surveyor and only auctioneer in Northeast Tennessee I could provide a lousy service and charge whatever I wanted to for it. That’s exactly what’s happening in some public schools in Tennessee. It’s a monopoly that needs to be broken.”

Ramsey said he was a huge advocate for charter schools and home schooling. He said when parents have their children trapped in failing schools, they deserve the right to send them somewhere else.

He also said he would put home-school test scores against any others in the state.

“When parents take the time to educate kids they will do a good job every time,” said Ramsey.

All fine and dandy, but what’s with the focus on home-schooling?  I would think the generally pro-market republicans would recognize that if we all had to stay home to educate our children (aside from whether we would do a good job — some would and some wouldn’t), it would bring our economy to a screeching halt.  Other than that, no real news here — lots of well-ridden hobbyhorses like choice and charters.  Good on Haslam, though, for pointing out that principals need more training (he needs to elaborate on what kind of training) and to mention the need to use data.

Talk about strange overlaps.  While walking my dog Benny  (who does not yet acknowledge the fact that we turned the clock back an hour last night), I noticed the Halloween revelers were still walking home while the NYC Marathon buses filled with anxious runners, were headed to Staten Island to await the start later this morning.  I guess that there are both party marathoners and running marathoners, right?

-  Since people are taking part in both activities at the same time I decided I can write about the Marathon and still be celebrating Halloween.  So, the above photo of Benny is my little Halloween greeting to you and yours.

-  The medals featured on the left are all about my Marathon days.

-  The New York Times had a front page story this rainy Marathon morning about cheating while Marathoning. I know from my five NYC  Marathons that it is uber-tempting to cheat.  When you enter Manhattan at mile 17 you can practically smell Central Park but you still have to lumber north on first Avenue through the Bronx, turn around and then head south to the finish line. Shame, shame, shame on the cheaters.

-  My memories of those five Marathon are some of the sweetest in this addled brain.  After hanging up my running shoes six years ago, I hung up my five medals and look at them almost every day (especially when these old bones begin to ache).  Completing a marathon is like nothing else.  It is a feeling of accomplishment and empowerment.  The down side are blisters and black toes.  Those things go away – but the sweet memories linger. Benny and I waved to all of those anxious Marathoners this morning and I will be watching and cheering for them both a the gym this morning and form my couch.

-  To the Halloween revelers that are stumbling home, I say – do not forget to turn your clocks back an hour.

-  Speaking of Marathons, the seemingly never ending November elections slog on.

-  Jon Stewart joins in the chat about NYC Mayoral race.  It is all about term limits.  Must watch.

-  Jon Stewart also looks at how the Fox opinion shows influence Fox “news” reporting. “See the Fox opinion guy’s outrage becomes the ’some say’ source for the newsside. It’s a perpetual rerevulsion machine,” explained Stewart.

-  Last week’s visit to the Philadelphia provided some great images and this funny 33 second video I shot of an orangutan playing doctor with a gibbon.

-Boo at the Central Park Zoo for you:

1964 Programme of Concerts as given in the publicity leaflet, a copy of which was given to me by Michael Hall.

Wardour Castle Summer Concerts

16-22 August, 1964

President: MICHAEL TIPPETT

Musical Director: HARRISON BIRTWISTLE

These concerts run concurrently with the Wardour Castle Summer School.

Sunday 16 August

5.0 pm Wardour Castle Assembly Room

Lecture: MUSIC IN OUR TIME

Given by Alexander Goehr

8.30 pm Wardour Castle Assembly Room

MUSIC IN OUR TIME

Introduced by Michael Tippett

A concert of contemporary English Music.

Promoted by: Institute for the Promotion of New Music

Morag Noble – Soprano

Margaret Kitchin – Pianoforte

Peter Maxwell Davies – Pianoforte

Melos Ensemble

Three Pieces for Piano – Hugh Wood

Suite for String Trio (first performance) – Neville Gambier

Piano Sonata – Anthony Gilbert

Second Piano Sonata – Michael Tippett

Monody for Corpus Christi – Harrison Birtwistle

Five Little Pieces (first performance) – Peter Maxwell Davies

Suite Op.11 – Alexander Goehr

Mondat 17 August

5.0 pm The Old Kitchen, Wardour Castle

Recital: Early organ Music

Given on a newly-restored baroque organ by Peter Maxwell Davies

Music by: Dunstable, Taverner, Byrd, Tomkins, Gabrielli, Scheidt, Zipoli, etc.

8.30 pm Wardour Castle Assembly Room

Chamber Concert

Melos Ensemble

Pianoforte Trio, F sharp minor – Haydn

Six Little Pieces – Bartok

Seven Sketches – Debussy

Première Rhapsody – Debussy

Vier Stüke – Berg

Fantasia in C Minor, K. 475 – Mozart

Horn Trio on E flat, Op.40 – Brahms

Tuesday 18 August

5.0 pm Wardour Castle Assembly Room.

Lecture: Oliver Messiaen, The Man and His Music

Given by Hugh Wood

8.30 pm Wardour Castle Assembly Room

Quartet for the End of Time

Members of the Melos Ensemble

Emmanuel Hurwitz – violin, viola

Gervase de Peyer – clarinet

Terrence Weil – Violoncello

Lamar Crowson – pianoforte

Clarinet Trio in E flat, K.498 – Mozart

Impromptus, Op. 142 – Schubert

Quatuor Pour la Fin du Temps – Oliver Messiaen

Wednesday 19 August

5.0 pm The Old Kitchen, Wardour Castle

Flute and Harpsichord

Lucy Berthoud – flute

Michael Thomas – harpsichord

Sonata No. 1 in B minor – Bach

Ordre B Minor – Couperin

Sonata No. 6 in E minor – Bach

8.30 pm Wardour Castle Assembly Room.

Discussion: Opera Today

Alexander Goehr, Peter Maxwell Davies, Michael Tippett.

Chairman: Harrison Birtwistle

Thursday 20 August

5.0 pm Wardour Castle Assembly Rooms.

A Matinee for Erik Satie

Given by Susan McGaw – pianoforte

Gymnopédies – Satie

Sonatas – C. P. E. Bach

Vieux sequins et Vieilles Cuirasses – Satie

Songs without Words – Mendelssohn

Jack-in-the-Box – Satie

8.30 pm Assemble Room Wardour Castle

Lecture: Musical Characterization in Mozart Opera.

Given by Stephen Pruslin, Princeton University.

Friday 21 August

8.30 pm Old Wardour Castle

Nocturnal.

A concert in the open air* of English and Italian echo-music from the 16th and 17th centuries for brass and voices

Given by: Gabrieli Ensemble and Choir conducted by Peter Maxwell Davies, Alexander Goehr.

Music by Maschera, Isaac, A and G. Gabrieli

* under cover if wet

Saturday 22 August

8.30 pm Donhead St. Andrew Parish Church

Participants Concert

A concert given by the participants of the summer school.

Conductors: John Carewe, Michael Tippett.

Morgengesand – C. P. E. Bach

Symphony – Haydn

Sequentia Sanctia Evangeli – Peter Maxwell Davies

Secundam Lucan, in illo Tempore XXII 14-20 (first performance written for the summer school)

Fantasias – Gibbons

[…]

Cover Design by Antony Denning.

The V&A archive (ACGB/51/1265) contains the accounts for the 1964 and 1965 summer schools and a budget for the 1965 event. I have posted the 1964 accounts here.

One of my research questions considers ways in which these summer schools were funded, and how this reflects prestige, as well as indicating the priorities of the events. Here is the budget for the 1965 events.

____________________________

[in purple:] RECD 19 May 1965

Wardour Castle Summer School 1965

Concert Proposals and Estimates [in red type] 5 concrets in Cranborne Chase School [|] 15,16; 18,19,20 Aug.1965

Concert 1. Sunday, 15th August at 8.00

Schubert            Trio in B flat

Schoenberg            Pierrot Lunaire

Bethany Beardslee, soprano Melos Ensemble, Edward Downes, conductor

Bethany Beardslee            £52. 10. 0

Melos Ensemble            180. 0. 0.

Edward Downes            47. 5. 0

Publicity, etc.            10. 10. 0

Hire of Piano            5. 5. 0

[total]                        £295. 10. 0

Receipts:            50 tickets @ 10/-                        £25. 0. 0

From Summer School                        50. 0. 0

[total]                                                                        £75. 0. 0

Concert 2. Monday, 16th August at 8.00 [hand written in black ink:] (given Tues. 17th)

Handel            Cantata

Schubert/Wolf            Songs

Purchell [sic]            Chaconne for 2 vlns, and Continuo

Webern            Songs

Milton Babbitt            Philomel (with synthesizer)

Bethany Beardslee, sop. Stephen Pruslin, pno. Leonard Friedman, vln

Members of Melos Ensemble

Artists fees            £150. 0. 0

Hire and installation

of elect. equipment            35. 0. 0

Hire of Harpsichord            10. 0. 0

[total]                                    £195. 0. 0

Receipts:            50 tickets @ 10/-                        £25. 0. 0

From Summer School                        50. 0. 0

[total]                                                                        £75. 0. 0

Wardour Castle Summer School [page] 2

Concert 3; Wednesday, 18th August, at 8.00

Bach            Ricercari [sic] from Musical Offering

Webern            6 Songs, Op. 14

Robin Holloway            New Work

Hanns Eisler            14 Ways of Describing Rain

Alexander Goehr            New Work

Gibbons            London Street Cries

Four Singers in Consort. Bethany Beardslee, Melod Ensemble directed by Alexander Goehr

4 Singers                        £63. 0. 0

Members of

Melos Ensemble            150. 0. 0

Soloist                                    26. 5. 0

[total]                                    £239. 5. 0

Receipts:            50 tickets @ 10/-                        £25. 0. 0

From Summer School                        50. 0. 0

From SPNM                                    50. 0. 0

[total]                                                                        £125. 0. 0

Concert 4. Thursday, 19th August, at 5.00

Mixed programme of old and new music including new work by Robert Sherlaw Johnson

Four Singers in Consort and percussion

4 Singers                        £42. 0. 0

R. Sherlaw Johnson            15 15. 0

Percussion                        10. 10. 0

Transoport of

instruments                        10. 0. 0

[total]                                    £77.15. 0

Receipts:            Sale of Tickets                                    £5. 0. 0 [in red pen] ?05/-? or 2/0?

From Summer School                        25. 0. 0

From SPNM                                    25. 0. 0

[total]                                                                        £55. 0. 0

Wardour Castle Summer School [page] 3

Concert 5. Friday, 20th August, at 8.00

Peter Maxwell Davies            Motet, for voices & instruments [in red pen] “Ecce Manus Tradentis”

In Nomine I-III

Harrison Birtwistle            New Work

Alexander Goehr            New Work

Also music by Praetorius, Dunstable, newly instrumented by P. Maxwell Davies.

Consort, Melos Ensemble (enlarged), directed by P. Maxwell Davies

4 Singers                        £42. 0. 0

Melos, with

added players                        300. 0 0

Hire of organ

and harpsichord            15. 0. 0

Publicity, etc.                        10. 0. 0

[total]                                    £367. 0. 0

Receipts:            Sale of tickets                                    £25. 0. 0 [in red ink] ?50 [|] ?@10/-

From Summer School                        50. 0. 0

From SPNM                                    75. 0. 0

[Total]                                                                        £150 . 0. 0

[The following in red type]

SUMMARY for the five Concerts: (Ticket income includes contribution from the school for ?approx.100 students)

INCOME                        EXPENDITURE

15 Aug.            75                                    295 10 0

16 Aug.            75                                    195 0 0

18 Aug.            75                                    239 5 0

19 Aug.            30                                    77 15 0

20 Aug.            75                                    367 0 0

Tickets total            330                                    1,174 10 0

From SPNM for

last 3 concerts            150

DEFICIT            694 10 0

[total]                        1,174 10 0

1965-66: Allocation:

For Submission to the 187th Meeting of the Council’s Executive Committee to be held on Wed. 30th June 1965.

WARDOUR CASTLE SUMMER SCHOOL (1st application)

5 concerts between 15th and 20th August, 1965

in Cranborne Chase School, Wardour Castle, Tisbury, Wilts.

[blue pen] G’tee £350

RECEIVED MUSIC DEPARTMENT            19/5/65            HR

RECOMMENDED MUSIC DIRECTOR            16/6/65            SS, for J.D.

APPROVED ACCOUNTANT                        16/6/65            [??]

APPROVED FINANCE OFFICER                        15.7.65            [??]

Note: The Council’s geant [sic] to SPNM for 1965-6 includes £300 [this figure circled and in the margin written: 1.300?[|] 2.400?] for concerts at the Wardour Castle Summer School”. £150 of this goes to workshop concerts, and [in red hand:] (?250) [typed:] £150 to the last three of this series of five public concerts. HR

____________________________

Drew Johnson, President of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research:

It’s really starting to look and feel like autumn around the Zoo this week. Colorful leaves twirling down from the branches like little helicopters and crisp breezes rippling across the Wetlands.

In the wild, Season change has dramatic effects on animals— predators and herbivores alike become more serious about building up their reserves of fat and fur before the winter starts. But here at the Zoo, each animal’s climate is controlled to keep them in their optimum comfort zones year round. Of course, that doesn’t seem to stop the Bison’s winter fur from getting thicker and longer, or the Snow Leopard from gazing off wistfully at some soon-to-come snowbound landscape.

School is in session again and so the kids I have been seeing here on weekdays tend to be mostly pre-schoolers. These are kids who, perhaps for the first time, are seeing Penguins and Seals and miniature Guinea Hogs up close and personal.  It’s great to watch them point and laugh.  Over at the Gibbons’ exhibit, a group of youngsters are thoroughly entertained by one of the playful apes who grabs a page from a magazine that’s been put into their cage for enrichment, and swings briskly up to his perch where he appears to actually be “reading,” or at least enjoying the pictures.

The Giant Anteaters are outside together now most of the time and they seem to be gradually getting less formal with each other. I actually witnessed a few friendly nose-bumps as they passed each other. Pretty soon it will be too cold for them outside so they’ll be coming inside where the climate stays at the warm and comfy levels they refer.

Life for animals here at RWPZoo certainly has some definite advantages.

By Rob Mariani
RWPZoo Docent

Lind, continuing to mash

In case you hadn’t figured out in the first 157 games, Adam Lind is legit. Lind went deep three times at Fenway tonight, missing a shot at tying the major league record of four when Jonathan Papelpon pussied out and plunked him with two outs in the ninth. Jose Bautista, Aaron Hill and Kevin Millar also added homers and the Jays withstood a shaky bottom of the eighth to win 8-7 — their eighth win in nine games.

Back to Lind: He showed signs of coming into his own after being called up after John Gibbons’ firing last June, but I don’t think anyone expected the barrage he’s put up in 2009. After picking up four hits and six RBIs on Opening Day, Lind never looked back. With four games to go, he’s hit 35 home runs (one short of Hill’s team lead) and driven in a team-high 114 runs. Now, if only Cito Gaston would consider starting him against lefties next season…(or better yet, if only Cito were fired following this season.)

Ricky Romero finally picked up a win against Boston in what was likely his last start of the season, running his record to 13-9. Coming in 0-3 with an 8.83 ERA agains the Red Sox, Romero went five innings and gave up two runs. Shawn Camp gave up five runs (though one was inherited from Jesse Carlson) in the eighth but Jason Frasor closed it out in the ninth for his 11th save.

A baby white-handed gibbon was born at Vienna’s Schoenbrunn Zoo to father Robert (aged 11) and mother Sipura (aged 21) on Sept 23rd. The baby was dubbed “ET” by the Vienna media after the famous Hollywood blockbuster alien although the zoo does not have an official name for the baby yet. Isn’t he adorable?I can’t stop saying “awwwwww”.

“ET” snuggling with his mother. Photo from Austrian Times.

White-handed gibbons or Lar gibbons (Hylobates lar), are listed as near threatened in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Philadelphia Zoo has a few white-handed gibbons in their PECO Primate Reserve. Awwwwww ……..

Originally posted on The Prancing Papio

The grey gibbons celebrated their birthdays Fiesta style on Sunday, September 13th. Visitors were directed to the party by colorful posters depicting the gibbons enjoying Fiesta inspired treats. Initially the gibbons were a little overwhelmed by all the decorations and Fiesta music, but after spotting the food treats they settled down. Food treats included cherry tomatoes, leaf lettuce, cilantro, mango, and avocado.

+

Looking for an easy way to help support primate conservation? If you shop at Ralphs and have a Ralphs Club card, 3% of your purchases could be going towards the Gibbon Conservation Center. It’s free for you to sign up and all you have to do is sign up and remember to use your Ralphs Club card when you shop!

To sign up:
http://www.ralphs.com/myralphs/703/Pages/community_contribution.aspx

Click on the sign up button, and once you are registered and activate your email. Once signed in you need to add your Ralps Club card number and then click on the link that says:

Edit Community Contribution Program Information

You can search by keyword Gibbon and the 2nd option is for the Gibbon Conservation Center. And that’s it!

Thanks for supporting gibbons and primate conservation!

Batman by Brian Azzarello (writer), Eduardo Risso (artist) – Nice plot progression but confusing dialogue and motivation. Never enjoy seeing Batman get sucker punched by a common thug. He should be above that, no? B-

Kamandi by Dave Gibbons (writer), Ryan Sook (artist)– War on Washington DC. The epic battle to save Caesar and Tuftan begins as Kamandi and the Lion warriors storm the White House. As usual for this strip, great iconic art and storytelling. A-

Superman by John Arcudi (writer), Lee Bermejo (artist) – Jaw dropping art, but not a lot of story. Also, when did Supes get psychic powers to “receive” others thoughts? B

Deadman by Dave Bullock and Vinton Heuck (writers), Dave Bullock (artist) –Who knew Deadman was such a great character. He and his crew battle the main demon, but things look bleak. Absorbing read… Good art. A-

Green Lantern by Kurt Busiek (writer), Joe Quinones (artist), Pat Brosseau (colorist) – Nice character work and superb art with a nice 50’s feel. A little let down that there is another space invasion in Wednesday Comics. Nothing unique there. B

Metamorpho by Neil Gaiman (writer), Mike Allred (artist) – Last week’s periodic chart of elements was smart,fun, and off-the-hook original,  but two weeks of it is just annoying. We got it Gaiman: You’re smarter and a heck of a better writer than the rest of us. But now you’re just showing off. Anyway, I love Algon. B+

Teen Titans by Eddie Berganza (writer), Sean Galloway (artist) – Clunky work all around here. Trident is not a good foe and this story has been too segmented to be engaging in the long run. C

Strange Adventures by Paul Pope – This is awesome on many levels, but the art is just amazing. I was very confused what happened last week, but this week, I just don’t care as everything clicks in this installment. Why isn’t Paul Pope on a regular “Big 2″ comic? Pay the man, somebody! A+

Supergirl by Jimmy Palmiotti (writer), Amanda Conner (artist) – It may not be the best story but it is my favorite and the most fun. Well crafted and plotted. Every installment has had a great take away and this installment is no exception. A+

Metal Men by Dan Didio (writer), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (artist) – This story is getting really, really old. Same enemy, same situation, same setting, week after week. I really enjoy the art, but it is a remote affair. C-

Wonder Woman by Ben Caldwell – I can’t read this. I can’t even look at it too long without needing to down some dramamine. F

Sgt. Rock by Adam Kubert (writer), Joe Kubert (artist) – Finally, something happens and there is a plot twist, rather than things just remaining static. I can’t help to think that this would have been a better comic if it took place on a battlefield. B

The Flash by Karl Kerschl and Brenden Fletcher (writers), Karl Kerschl (artist) Iris West by Dave McCaig (writer), Rob Leigh (artist) — I am so lost here it’s not eve funny or enjoyable. D

The Demon and Catwoman by Walter Simonson (writer), Brian Stelfreeze (artist) – Reminds me of an 80’s Hanna Barbera cartoon with over the top dramatic dialogue and characters one dimensional and predictable. That being said, that’s not necessary bad here.  B

Hawkman by Kyle Baker – Its all predictable but well done. Hawkman has been a particularly strong character throughtout this series and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Plus, the artwork is just so unique.

the female gibbon needs to rest up for the upcoming party!

The grey gibbons will be having a joint birthday party on Sunday, September 13th at 1pm. The party will be held at their exhibit and the theme will be Fiesta! The female will be 43 and the male will be 39. Please join us as the gibbons enjoy special treats on their special day.

One of the things that make the Columbus zoo my favorite is the extensive Primate exhibits and the great enclosures they have for them, they all seem happy and well taken care of. The photo opprotunities abound as there are alot of viewing areas without glass and I can get some great shots, for the shots with glass a polarizer filter helps reduce glare and reflections. So here are some of my favorite primate pics from Tuesday…Ed

A Colobus monkey and a new friend.

A female Gorilla

A young Bonobo

A female Bonobo

Mandrill or Baboon

Willie the Male Orangutan

Sarah, the hottie female Orangutan

And finally the mama Gibbon and her adorable baby..
Hope ya’ll enjoyed these pics. I have an update on my ghost post for tomorrow, my folks think they may have identified him….

Exqi (the documentarians) planned a trip the Planckendael Zoo in Mechelen for our group.  About 20 of us (artists, technicians, and families) met early on Sunday (19 April) to take a boat to the large zoo/ animal park.

Once at the zoo, we split into groups and wandered around the park (trailed by a camera crew, of course).  All in all, it was a really fun day.  We got to see lots of cool animals and birds (Elise can name them for you).

A rare specimen indeed

Upon request from the camera crew, we played in this boat. (Andy, Lidia, Me)

Lazy Camel

Gibbons!

There were also two BABY giraffes, but I didn't really get a good picture

Now for the birds.  Go Elise!

There were in fact more birds and more animals.  Find them here.

Thanks again to all the keepers, docents, and staff that made Animal Enrichment Day 2009 such a big success. Special thanks to keeper Loretta for being the main organizer. Below are some pictures of animals enjoying their ice treats. Pico will add more pictures as they are sent to him.

Hello again! This time I’m bringing you an amazing short story, created in CG by Aidan Gibbons, from Aniboom. The film is about a grandfather who is telling his story to his grandchildren through the piano music. Although very simple, I found it really great. Hope you like it: